Hope’s Collision looked to be right on course against a band of Shenandoah Teeners, taking the wheel and spinning off an early two-run lead after four innings of play Tuesday.

But then the Fender Benders got out of sync, while the Daredevils played patient and focused baseball.

By the time the teams hit the home stretch, Shenandoah had a three-run cushion and managed to snuff out three big threats to earn a 6-3 decision over Hope’s in a Schuylkill Junior Teener League contest.

Hope’s manager Jeff Erie could feel his team slowly slipping away – they were breaking down in critical times of the game, and couldn’t get a key hit.

But that was attributed in part to the Daredevils’ ability to come up with a huge fourth-inning double play, and working their way through sixth and seventh inning jams with nary a run to the plate.

“It’s been the story of our season thus far,” Erie suggested. “We throw to the wrong base, we struggled for a big hit, but hey, that’s baseball. Our team battles – 100-perecent – but we can get better once we cut down the mistakes.”

The Daredevils seized a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a walk to Nick Ryan and an RBI single off the bat of Justin Murphy.

However, Hope’s Collision rallied for two runs in the home third thanks to hits from Ben Hauser and Mason Ligenza, and squeezed home a third run in the fourth. Nate Tomczyak singled before swiping second and scoring off Stigerwatlt’s single with no outs.

Then the Daredevils turned the tide on a nifty double play as Ryan, the pitcher, fielded a pop up off a bunt try and threw to first to quell the threat.

That seemed to lift Shenandoah’s spirits, for it patiently worked a pair of walks to Murphy and John Burke, before Ben Mentusky slashed an RBI single and Tristin Karosis’ groundout added an RBI to force a 3-3 tie.

The Daredevils used a two-run sixth inning to forge a 5-3 lead on back-to-back walks to winning pitcher Braden Maksimik and Murphy and rode home on Mentusky’s flare to right center for a double.

Shenandoah added an insurance run in the seventh, using two straight one-out walks to Brandon Lutz and Jake Matta, and Ryan’s fielder’s choice ground out scored Lutz.

The Fender Benders didn’t go down silently, as they tried to parlay one-out singles by Scott Case and Noah Mateyak into runs.

But Maksimik got a line out and a groundout to short to end the game.

HITTERS

... In all, the Fender Benders collected nine hits; Ligenza and Cooper Anspach each had doubles, while Jerry Harmony, Pierce Grim, Case, Hauser, Stigerwalt and Mateyak each added singles.

Shenandoah managed just six hits, with Mentusky’s two leading the way.

Shenandoah 100 022 1 – 6 6 3

Hope’s 021 000 0 – 3 8 0

Ryan, Maskimik and Boris (4) and Najda (5) and Boris (6) and Najda (7); Matyak, Harmony (6), Coleman (6) and Tomczyak. W – Maksimik L – Matyak.